The Answer to Prayers

Today's Reflections 
 
                                                             

The Answer to Prayers 

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Mt 7:7-12

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ⁷“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. ⁹Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, ¹⁰or a snake when he asks for a fish? ¹¹If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.

¹²“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets.”

EVERYONE WHO ASKS, RECEIVES. The fact that the heavenly Father knows what we need even before we ask him (cf Mt 6:8) does not excuse us from praying, seeking, and knocking. We are not babies to be spoon-fed; rather, we are creatures who must freely have recourse to the Creator, children who must open up to the heavenly Father. We should never hesitate to approach God because he is the best Father we can ever have. Earthly fathers, with all their weaknesses and defects, know how to give good things to their children. How much better are the gifts of the heavenly Father!

The Lucan version of Jesus’ saying declares that the heavenly Father gives the greatest of his gifts: the Holy Spirit (cf Lk 11:13). The Holy Spirit guides us to make good decisions, and in our life, this is the most important thing. The road to success depends upon our decisions. The Holy Spirit guarantees that we always decide for good and prefer the joy and peace of God’s kingdom to the pleasures and glories of this world.

If we have inner peace and joy,

what more can we ask?

Have you asked the Father to give you

the gift of the Holy Spirit?